An attacker apparently armed with a knife tried to enter the Israeli Embassy in Turkey on Wednesday before being shot and slightly wounded by Turkish security officials, an Israeli official said.

Emmanuel Nahshon told The Associated Press that all Israeli Embassy staff were safe and the attacker was captured.

"The attacker was wounded before he reached the embassy," Nashon said in a statement in Jerusalem.

"A person approached the embassy with a knife. He was lightly wounded by a local security man in the leg," he said.

He said it took place in the "outer perimeter" of the embassy.

Nahshon emphasized that at this stage details were hazy and there still "isn't a clear picture" of what happened.

Police blocked roads leading to the heavily protected embassy building. Turkish media reports said staff at the embassy were moved to a shelter.

Turkey's private NTV television and other media reports said the man walked past the embassy building several times, raising suspicion, before trying to enter the building.